Calibrachoa Plant Named &#39;KLECA18503&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Calibrachoa  plant designated ‘KLECA18503’ particularly distinguished by pink and purple bicolored flowers, is disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/921,069, filed on May 29, 2019, the entire contentsof which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

Genus and species: Calibrachoa sp.

Variety denomination: ‘KLECA18503’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct variety ofCalibrachoa, botanically known as Calibrachoa sp., and hereinafterreferred to by the variety name ‘KLECA18503’. ‘KLECA18503’ originatedfrom a controlled cross between the female Calibrachoa parent ‘Hula SoftPink’, (patent status unknown) and the proprietary male Calibrachoa‘CA-2014-5086’, (unpatented) in Stuttgart, Germany in August 2015.

‘KLECA18503’ has been found to reproduce true to type in successivegenerations of asexual propagation in Stuttgart, Germany via vegetativestem cuttings.

SUMMARY

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of ‘KLECA18503’ when grown under normal horticulturalpractices in Stuttgart, Germany.

1. Large, soft pink flowers with dark purple color at transition tocorolla tube; and

2. An upright, mounding habit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

This new Calibrachoa plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographof a plant grown outdoors in Stuttgart, Germany. The photograph showsthe whole plant, unless otherwise noted, including the flowers andfoliage and buds. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonablyobtained by conventional photographic procedures. The photograph is of awhole plant photo of ‘KLECA18503’ taken at 3-months-old in June 2018.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctivecharacteristics of ‘KLECA18503’. The data which define thesecharacteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out inStuttgart, Germany. Data was collected on plants grown 18 weeks sincepotting in a greenhouse with no pinching or growth regulators. Colorreferences are to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal HorticulturalSociety of London (R.H.S.), 5^(th) edition (2007).

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Solanaceae.        -   Botanical.—Calibrachoa sp.        -   Designation.—‘KLECA18503’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—‘Hula Soft Pink’ (patent status unknown).        -   Male parent.—‘CA-2014-5086’ (unpatented).-   Plant:    -   -   Life cycle.—Annual.        -   Form.—Short-lived subshrub.        -   Habit.—Upright, mounding.        -   Height (from soil line to top of foliage).—11.0 cm.        -   Spread.—30 cm.        -   Propagation.—Vegetative.        -   Type cuttings.—Tip cuttings.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—3 weeks.-   Stems:    -   -   Stem color.—RHS 143B.        -   Pubescence.—Present.        -   Pubescence color.—RHS 155A.        -   Stem diameter.—0.15 cm.        -   Stem length.—From soil line to first node: 1.4 cm. Total            length: 25 cm.        -   Internode length.—1.2 cm.-   Foliage:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Shape.—Acute.        -   Apex.—Broadly acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Surface.—Moderately glandular pubescent.        -   Surface pubescence.—Present.        -   Pubescence color.—RHS 155A.        -   Venation.—Arcuate.        -   Venation color.—Upper surface: RHS 144A. Lower surface: RHS            145B.        -   Length.—4.3 cm.        -   Width.—1.6 cm.        -   Color.—Upper surface: RHS N137A. Lower surface: RHS 137B.        -   Fragrance.—Absent.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Flowering habit.—Single flowers.        -   Flower type.—Determinate inflorescence.        -   Flowering requirements.—A minimum of light sun is required.        -   Duration of flowers.—6 days.        -   Corolla.—Smooth.        -   Shape.—Funnel form.        -   Fragrance.—Absent.        -   Flower depth.—2.3 cm.        -   Flower tube length.—2.1 cm.        -   Flower tube diameter.—0.7 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—4.9 cm.        -   Pedicel color.—RHS 144B.        -   Calyx.—Funnel shaped, salver form.-   Inflorescence bud:    -   -   Surface.—Smooth.        -   Length.—2.7 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.6 cm.        -   Shape.—Oblong.        -   Color.—RHS 65C (limbs) and RHS 154C (throat).-   Peduncles:    -   -   Length.—2.5 cm to 4.0 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.1 cm.        -   Color.—RHS 144B.        -   Texture.—Densely glandular pubescent.        -   Anthocyanin color.—Absent.-   Sepals:    -   -   Shape.—Lanceolate to trullate.        -   Apex.—Narrowly acute.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Length.—1.9 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.5 cm.        -   Sepal color.—Upper surface: RHS 137A. Lower surface: RHS            137C.-   Petals:    -   -   Shape.—Obcordate.        -   Length.—2.0 cm.        -   Apex.—Emarginate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Base.—Fused in the tube.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Glabrous.        -   Texture, lower surface.—Glandular pubescent, dense along            venation.        -   Lobe length.—2.3 cm.        -   Lobe width.—2.3 cm.        -   Color.—Lobe color: Upper surface: RHS 84C with RHS N79A at            transition to corolla tube. Lower surface: RHS 84C. Corolla            tube color: Inner: RHS 7A. Outer: RHS 154C.        -   Fragrance.—Absent.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamen number.—5.        -   Anther color.—RHS 3C.        -   Filament color.—RHS 150C.        -   Pollen color.—RHS 8B.        -   Placenta arrangement.—Ovate.        -   Pistil number.—1.        -   Pistil length.—0.7 cm.        -   Stigma color.—RHS 144C.        -   Style length.—0.8 cm.        -   Style color.—RHS 144C.-   Fruit and seed set: No fruit or seed set observed.

COMPARISON OF ‘KLECA18503’ WITH PARENTAL LINES AND KNOWN VARIETY

‘KLECA18503’ is distinguished from the parental lines as follows.Whereas ‘KLECA18503’ has light pink flowers with a large sized darkpurple transition color to the corolla tube, female parent ‘Hula SoftPink’ has light pink flowers with a medium sized dark red transitioncolor to the corolla tube and male parent ‘CA-2014-5086’ has lightorange flowers with a medium sized red transition color to the corollatube.

‘KLECA18503’ can be compared to the commercial Calibrachoa varietyKLECA14263’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,100), also commercially known asMINIFAMOUS Neo ‘Salmon Pink+Eye’ in that ‘KLECA18503’ flowers earlierand has larger flowers than MINIFAMOUS Neo ‘Salmon Pink+Eye’.

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Calibrachoa plant designated‘KLECA18503’ as illustrated and described herein.